Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Parenting

I am persuaded that the making of mature
and confident young women includes sporadic tickling from their fathers. Wisdom
is important here because too much can just be annoying on the receiving end.

But when you think of all the ways that
dads physically interact with their little girls: hugs, kisses, carrying, and
holding; tickling only, guarantees laughing delight and there is something
about that that is magic. There is so much going on here both immediate and for
the future that any calculator programmed to attempt a computation would blow
its circuits. A girl that is getting that type of attention from the alpha-male
in her life is less likely to have intimate cravings that manifest themselves
in her eyes, words, attire and actions.

This also will help them know what to
look for in a husband. They will pass on the attentions of the ‘tragic figure’
and look for the hero who not only wants to save the world but also enjoys
doing it. (Yeah, I know that I’m not pouring concrete here or attempting
poetics but this is a huge subject and the rest of our lives; so listen to the
lunatic.)

As a dad, I not only tickle, but I also
discipline. You can see how that applies to our daughter’s relationship to
their Heavenly Father. When they read the scriptures, they will be more likely
to see God as more than just a strict disciplinarian or Jesus as a push-over. This
is not an attempt at balance but a
living out of the glorious norm.

Yep, tickling is a vital connection
between dads and daughters. God gave us this physical cause and effect that
shapes life uniquely. Its absence leaves leanness in the souls of all involved:
the dad, the daughter, the future husband, and the future children.